Grief and Grieving
Grief is a powerful emotional response to loss. The intensity of grieving can be mild, moderate or severe. The object of your grieving can have many forms: You can grieve the loss of a loved one, an object of sentimental value, a family pet, or significant situation or condition (such as a job, marriage, or anticipated role such as parenting).
Grieving is a process of adjustment. Finding a way to place the loss in the structure of your life, healing, and moving forward to fulfill the rest of your life in a positive way often require the assistance of a health professional with experience in helping people through their grieving process.
Grief is often spoken of in terms like sorrow, heartache, mourning, and bereavement. Depression, which can accompany the grieving process, may require additional help through medication as well as professional counseling.
Grief can be “anticipatory” or occurring before the actual loss happens. You can grieve the loss of your breast prior to mastectomy. You can grieve for a loved one who has a terminal illness and is facing death. You can also grieve the loss of a child when facing the possibility of a miscarriage.
Support is absolutely the most important component in successfully moving through the
grief process and returning to your life – however changed that life may be.
It is important to remember that
- There is no time line for grief, but that grieving continues at a high level of intensity and can be aided with the professional support Dr. DeMasters provides.
- There is no right way to grieve. Everyone grieves in his or her own unique way. Certainly men and women have different ways of coping with grief. You may find that you and your spouse or other loved ones handle grief very differently, and that may increase your feelings of loneliness or helplessness. Finding strategies that work for you may require assistance beyond the support system of family and friends.